Instruments

Here’s a list of some of the Brazilian carnival percussion instruments that we use to play our grooves.

SURDO (soor-doh)Surdos are large cylindrical drums with skins on both ends. Strapped over the shoulder the top skin is played with one or two beaters (depending on the style) producing a bass sound. The surdo rhythm creates the heartbeat in the Samba and provides the foundation for the patterns of the other instruments.

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CAIXA(cash – a)A snare drum found in most percussion ensembles in Brazil. Used to provide stability, swing and to drive the band playing either accents on to the beat or syncopated lines.

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REPINIQUE (hepi-knee-key)
Also called repique, this instrument acts as the lead drum of a bateria in samba and calls intros, endings and breaks. It is a double headed drum which is tuned high. In samba it is played using a stick in one hand with the other hand playing slaps and open tones. In samba reggae repiques are played with two thin sticks..

CHOCALHO (show-cal-yo)Chocalhos have a metal-frame with metal jingles. They are held with both hands and played with forward and backward movements provide excitement and drive in the music.

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TAMBORIM (tam-bor-him)Tamborims are one-headed drums about six inches in diameter and played with a thin stick or a plastic stick with several prongs. Usually short repetitive patterns are played on it and in a large group there is often a section of tamborim players playing fairly long phrases which punctuate the music.

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AGOGOConed shaped, metal tuned bells attached to a handle. Usually there are two bells, a smaller high-pitched bell and a larger lower pitched bell. There are also sets of Agogos with 3 or 4 bells. They’re played with a wooden stick, creating a melody using the different tones.

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APITOApito is a whistle. In Samba single-toned whistles (like the referee’s whistle) are used to start, stop and announce band calls. Tri-toned whistles are used for playing syncopated patterns.

TIMBATimbas have a conical wooden shell, a plastic skin and are played with hands. You get a deep bass, dry open tones and sharp slaps all on one instrument! Great for soloing, grooving and unison phrasing.

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